Jensen Ackles Is Officially Back on Set for ‘Tracker’ Season 4, and New Photos Prove It
Fans of CBS’s hit procedural have spent months anxiously wondering whether one particular fan-favorite face would make his way back into the fold for another round. Given how the character’s storyline was left dangling at the end of last season, that uncertainty was entirely understandable.
‘Tracker‘ has built its massive audience around Justin Hartley’s Colter Shaw, a skilled rewardist who travels the country tracking down missing people while unraveling his own complicated family history along the way. Central to that family drama has been Colter’s brother Russell, played by Jensen Ackles, whose appearances have become something fans eagerly anticipate each season.
That anticipation has now paid off, with new behind-the-scenes photos confirming Jensen Ackles is actively filming his return as Russell Shaw for ‘Tracker’ Season 4. The images offer fans their first real glimpse of Ackles back in action ahead of the season’s upcoming premiere.
Confirmation of his return first came from Justin Hartley himself during a panel at Televerse 2026, an annual television festival held in Los Angeles. Hartley revealed that Ackles would be returning to set, joking about his co-star’s appearance while praising the depth of talent and work ethic he brings to the role.
Russell’s Season 3 ending left plenty of unresolved threads for the new season to address. The finale saw Colter and Russell finally uncover the truth about their father’s involvement in a covert, DARPA-funded program that experimented on gifted children, ultimately leading to his downfall.
After helping rescue two of the program’s test subjects, the brothers set out to dismantle the operation entirely. While Colter got the victims to safety, Russell pursued the man behind the program alone, only to be handed a file containing troubling new information about something their father had done to Colter during childhood, setting up plenty of material for Season 4 to explore.
Production on the new season began back in June, marking a significant shift for the series as filming relocated to Los Angeles after its first three seasons were shot in Vancouver. Given how much of the season has already been in production, Ackles’ arrival on set represents one of the final major pieces falling into place ahead of the show’s return.
Ackles’ status heading into this season had remained genuinely unclear for months, largely due to his demanding schedule across multiple other high-profile projects. Beyond ‘Tracker,’ Ackles has become closely associated with his role as Soldier Boy in Prime Video’s ‘The Boys,’ a character he’s also set to reprise in the upcoming spin-off series ‘Vought Rising.’
That packed slate had fueled ongoing fan speculation about whether his limited role in ‘Tracker’ might eventually be phased out altogether. With Hartley’s confirmation and now these fresh on-set photos, however, it’s clear Russell Shaw remains very much part of the show’s ongoing story.
‘Tracker’ Season 4 is set to premiere on October 4, continuing the show’s run as the most-watched scripted series on network television. With Russell’s return now confirmed and actively in production, fans can look forward to seeing how the Shaw brothers’ complicated family history continues unfolding when the new season finally arrives.
How Excited Are You for Jensen Ackles’ Return to ‘Tracker’?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
